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Don't Cry (Original)
General Info. Year: 1991 Album: Use Your Illusion I Released: September 17, 1991 Length: 4:45 Writer(s): Axl Rose & Izzy Stradlin About Don't Cry is a power ballad by the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, two versions of which were released simultaneously on different albums. The version with the original lyrics is the fourth track on Use Your Illusion I, while the version with the alternate lyrics is the 13th track on Use Your Illusion II. Only the vocal tracks differ, and even then only in the verses; however, in those verses, not only are the words entirely different, but the meter and melody are also slightly different. There is also a third version, officially released only on the single for the song, which was recorded during Appetite for Destruction sessions in 1986. The song reached the top 10 in many countries, including number 8 in the UK Singles Chart and number 10 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. Music Video The video for this song, like several videos for the Illusions albums, was much more cinematic than the band's previous videos had been. It depicted the central character in his courtship with his eventual wife as well as his internal battle with emotional issues. Although a sharp turn away from what fans were used to, it is still regarded as one of the best videos the band produced in its short time together. Fans can't agree on whether this is the first or second video in the trilogy. Most fans think this is the first, showing Axl and his girlfriend having problems with their relationship (and that he was likely singing about this in "November Rain"). Another interesting, but not as accepted, theory is that this is the second video, and that after Axl's new bride dies in "November Rain" he remembers/dreams the video. At the start of the "Estranged" video, they say the S.W.A.T. team members catch Axl in his home while he is having the "Don't Cry" dream. Fans of this theory often point out that Axl is seen talking to a therapist in "Don't Cry" (while wearing a Red Hot Chili Peppers t-shirt), and is seen fighting with a gun (see the "November Rain" page to read more about the gun). Another interesting point to make is that in the video, Slash theoretically killed his girlfriend by driving his 1966 Shelby GT350 off a cliff and then throwing his guitar down the same cliff afterwards. Guitarist Izzy Stradlin, who plays the intro and is credited as co-writer of the song, had just left the band and didn't make it to the video recording, and Dizzy Reed can be seen wearing a t-shirt that reads, "Where's Izzy" (stated in Slash's Biography), and we can see a Fender Telecaster near the amps in reference to Izzy's guitar. Rose can be seen very briefly, at around the same point in the video, wearing a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap. This may be a reference to the infamous 1991 incident in which Rose dove into a St. Louis crowd in the middle of a song in pursuit of a man with a video camera, was arrested, and incited a riot. It is also shown a Hollywood Rose picture with Izzy and Axl the second after Slash throws his guitar. A Nirvana baseball hat is visible to the side of Axl's left leg when he is lying down in the psychiatrist's office. He is also seen wearing the hat in an interview that was filmed while making the video. This interview can be seen on the mini-documentary entitled "Guns N' Roses Don't Cry: Makin' F@*!ing Videos" Rose was a big fan of Nirvana and even asked the band to play on two occasions during the Use Your Illusion Tour (Despite various live videos where Axl shows hatred towards Nirvana to the crowd, asking them what "Alternative" means. However, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain loathed Guns N' Roses (as documented in Come As You Are by Michael Azerrad, among other sources) and declined the invitation. During the 1992 MTV Music Awards, Dave Grohl repeats "Hi Axl" over and over after Nirvana's performance. This is due to what happened before the awards when Courtney Love shouted to Axl while holding their daughter, "Axl will you be her godfather" which followed a confrontation by Axl, telling Kurt to "keep his woman in line" along with profanity which led to the start a fight of which Cobain would not accept. After this event Nirvana began to tell audiences at live shows how they felt about Guns N' Roses, and how Kurt felt Axl was a womanizer. Both bands are signed to Geffen Records. More importantly, Axl Rose wears a T-shirt of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction in the video. Category:Songs